


Seeing Eachother

by Ryuutchi



Category: The-Wonder-Duo Blog, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Bakugou Katsuki is Bad at Feelings, Bittersweet Ending, First Dates, Fluff, I'd have laughed in your face, If you follow the blog anyway, InvisaInk is charming, InvisaInk is doomed, M/M, Pro Hero Bakugou Katuski, if you had told me a month ago that I'd be writing fic for a fic, kinda sorta maybe au-ish, yet here we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14718489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuutchi/pseuds/Ryuutchi
Summary: It was early spring, they were finally home from France and Bakugou felt a little like he was drowning. Thankfully, a friendly octopus was willing to lend a hand.OR;Bakugou's first date goes swimmingly.[A coda/missing scene based onThe Wonder Duo blog]





	Seeing Eachother

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, thank you to [The Wonder Duo blog](http://the-wonder-duo.tumblr.com) for letting me play in their sandbox! InvisaInk/Kurushimi Masu is their creation, and the fic fills in my interpretation of Bakugou and InvisaInk's date.
> 
> If you're reading this and haven't read that, you're missing out. Please go over there and check out a great interactive fanfiction experience.
> 
> I wrote this in slightly over 24 hours because I was gripped with The Madness. I just hope other people enjoy it too.

An echoing crash broke the street’s quiet, making Katsuki’s hackles rise in expectation as the sounds of a fight began in earnest. Katsuki lengthened his stride to turn the corner, a prickle of sweat coalescing in his palms. But when he skidded to a halt, the flash of blue locs pulled into a neat bun and vibrant colors arraying on skin like a danger warning pulled him up short. Katsuki paused to watch the Camouflage Hero InvisaInk rabbit punch a beaky-nosed guy who had been shaking down a shop owner for cash and spun to grab the punk’s friend, flipping the second criminal over with a thud. A couple of shoppers stopped to record the event on their phones, and Katsuki hung back since it was clear InvisaInk more than outmatched the men he was fighting. In a matter of minutes, he had both punks shoved down on the ground, and another hero was running up the street closely followed by a handful of excited reporters.

Katsuki pulled back against the wall, not wanting to deal with the press after the week he’d had. And those vultures would be all over him for a story if they noticed he was there. He grimaced.

InvisaInk’s casual mermaid-print tank top and jeans combo made it obvious that he’d been running his own errands rather than on official patrol, but he, like Katsuki, apparently carried police-issue handcuffs just in case. He snapped them on with smooth motions and gestured for the newly arrived hero-- a man in livid pink whose name Katsuki couldn’t remember— to call the police. He smiled pleasantly at the reporters, shrugging slightly at their questions. “I’m on my way home,” he said.

Since everything was clearly just fine without him, Katsuki pushed off against the wall and stepped around the corner. He still had his errands to run, even when people were being dumb enough to start fights right in front of the grocery store.

“Zero, hold up!” Katsuki’s steps hitched, and he looked up. “I saw your blog post.” InvisaInk said. The younger hero had a bouquet of flowers cradled in one arm, and he moved rapidly towards Katsuki, none the worse for wear after his fight. His iridescent blue eyes gleamed oddly in the late afternoon light and his lips curved into a hesitant smile.

“Fuck,” Katsuki said, voice on a surprisingly even keel after weeks of an emotional rollercoaster. “I hadn’t heard from the Genius Agency, so I figured you guys weren’t gonna break contract or anything.” He was still half-expecting the flurry of emails and phone calls to start any moment, delayed only by lack of access to their vandalized office. He already had an even dozen messages from their publicist that he was resolutely ignoring.

The statement was greeted with InvisaInk’s chromatophores shifting skin tone from russet to blue in a slow surprised ripple and Katsuki wondered how much worse the news could get. He cleared his throat and InvisaInk sucked in a breath, the bouquet he held rustling when he threw his hands up in a defensive gesture. “No,” he said, “of course not! We’d never do something like that. I’d never do something like that!” He huffed as his color returned to normal, freckled blue cheeks puffing out. It was the same sound he’d made after losing his match to Katsuki at the World Leadership Conference—mild annoyance mixed with what seemed like a perpetual good mood. “I wanted to make sure you got home safely, so I checked your blog. Glad those kids are cleaning up their mess.” InvisaInk paused.

Katsuki didn’t bother to respond, hoping the guy would get to point so that he could go get his errands finished before Deku left for the apartment.

“A-anyway. I saw the thing you posted about, you know. About you being gay. And since I’m back in the city, I wanted to ask if,” InvisaInk took another breath. “If you’d want to go out with me,” he finished quickly, the words slamming against each other. Katsuki wasn’t sure whether the other hero was speaking fast so he didn’t lose his nerve, or if the world had slowed down to let the impact of his words reverberate.

Swallowing around his dry throat, Katsuki stared at one red and white carnation in the bunch. It was falling out of the bouquet as InvisaInk gestured helplessly, and his dazed mind focused on one of the inner petals while he fruitlessly tried to internalize the question. “Mm,” he said.

InvisaInk sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Sorry for bugging you. I’m glad you guys got home sa—“

“Hold on a fucking second,” Katsuki snapped, his temper popping. “You just drop a damn thing like that on me, you gotta gimme a minute to think at least.” He didn’t want to examine the anxious squeeze in his chest, but it was making it difficult to get words out. Absently, he ran a hand through his hair. That petal was exceedingly interesting. “Mm. When were you thinking? We gotta finish cleaning up the office and all.” There. That didn’t sound too interested. Or nervous. Why the hell would he be nervous? That was ridiculous. InvisaInk was strong enough, for someone who specialized in sneak attacks, but it wasn’t as though he’d ever been in Katsuki’s league.

The thought of kicking InvisaInk’s ass turned to a memory of his bared shoulders glowing with luminescent freckles as they dashed into the sewers beneath the Paris stadium and a sharp grin that had been unaccountably comforting in those enclosed, dark corridors. He tossed his head to shake loose the image.

That smile—wide and white and annoyingly optimistic-- curved InvisaInk’s lips. “Y-yeah? Yeah, of course, uhm, well. How about Friday? You still have my number from Paris, right?” He spread his hands, and then started rummaging for his phone.

“Yeah, I still have it. Quit freaking out,” Katsuki said, suppressing the urge to shove that damn carnation back in its bouquet. “I’ll call you tonight to make plans or. Something. So figure out something cool or I’ll kill you,” he said. The insults were an ingrained reaction that he was glad to have honed because it gave his mind time to spin in circles. A date? He’d agreed to a damn date. Shit, a date.

The bouquet made a swishing sound as InvisaInk moved, flicking through apps on his phone with one hand. “Good, great. Awesome! I’ve got an idea, don’t worry, nothing too heavy!” It was difficult to see in the yellow afternoon light but InvisaInk’s cheeks were definitely beginning to glow again, blue freckles pulsing minutely. It was charming, Katsuki thought distantly. “I’ve gotta get home. I wanted to get my mom some flowers since I haven’t seen her since I got back, but I’ll be home later tonight, so just call whenever, okay? Okay.”

Katsuki nodded, coherent thought still a bit out of his reach. “Yeah, I gotta,” he held up the shopping bag in the crook of his arm to finish the sentence. “So. Later.”

“Mm-hmm! I’ll talk to you later!” InvisaInk gave Katsuki a broad, happy grin and lifted the bouquet in a wave. Katsuki ignored the way it made his stomach clench and stepped out of the way for the man to pass by. Warmth prickled against his arm as InvisaInk brushed against him.

* * *

The sun was well below the horizon when Katsuki got home, calling out a greeting to the empty apartment. Kira shoved her head against Katsuki’s ankles as hard as she could, and twined around his legs before meowing expectantly. He leaned down with a huff. “You’re a fucking spoiled brat,” he told his cat, but scratched her behind the ears anyway. He stepped over her, heading to the kitchen to put away the groceries and do meal prep.

Once the curry was bubbling on the stove, he dropped onto the couch and fished his phone from his pocket. Katsuki stared at it, ignoring the steadily increasing number of unanswered messages from their publicist, and contemplated the phone app. Deku wasn’t back yet from finishing up dealing with the brats who’d messed up their office (as though two pro-heroes couldn’t track down a couple of snot-nosed punks, for fuck’s sake. Kids these fucking days). If he called now, he probably had at least half an hour for whatever planning needed to happen for Friday. For a. Date. That he had agreed to. His fingers popped with sweat against the phone case. Katsuki grumbled and switched it to the other hand so he could detonate his sweat in a controlled burst.

He could do this. All of his damn friends had done this shit, so it’s not like it could be that fucking hard. Hell, the shitnerd had gotten all sorts of dates, and he could barely even talk to girls he liked.

Flipping through his phone contacts, he grumbled, trying to recall what InvisaInk’s real name was. It was so much easier to think of everyone by their codename or nickname so that was how most people were labeled. After a long minute, he finally found where Invisaink had entered his number, listed under _Kurushimi Masu ☆~inv-ink~☆_. Katsuki rolled his eyes and pressed the Call button.

InvisaInk—Masu—answered on the second ring with an obnoxiously cheerful hello.

“S’me,” Katsuki said, not bothering to introduce himself. Okay, what else was he supposed to say? Shit. He’d never actually agreed to a fucking date before. He wasn’t interested in anyone else who had ever asked him, even if he had considered taking Camie up on her offer that one time in second year when she offered to go disguised as Todoroki for laughs.

“Great! It’s still me too,” Masu said and they lapsed into silence for a minute. He coughed and cleared his throat, sounding as awkward as Katsuki felt. “Aah, I mean. Anyway. I was thinking we could go see that All Might western that they cleaned up and re-released. And before, I don’t know. Have dinner and some drinks, maybe? There’s a pretty nice izakaya near the theater. If you like yakitori, that is. If you don’t, I’m sure we can find something else,” he trailed off.

For a moment his nervous tone reminded Katsuki so much of Deku it made him want to snarl. “Yakitori’s fucking fine. Don’t get your panties twisted,” he snapped. “Movie and dinner sounds okay, I guess. I don’t make a habit of doing this kind of shit.”

Masu made a thoughtful sound. “I always figured you were just putting your career first, so you didn’t have time to date,” he said. “I’m glad it was that you were just waiting.”

“I wasn’t _waiting_ ,” Katsuki said, irritated by the truth. He’d been waiting for that fucking nerd, and waiting hadn’t done anything at all for him. “I just wasn’t interested in anyone, and didn’t want to fucking come out and make it a huge goddamn story.”

In response, Masu just made an amused sound that caused Katsuki’s to skin prickle. “Well, I’m glad you came out when you did. And are willing to make a habit of this with me.”

“Who said this was going to be a fucking habit?” Katsuki’s palm sparked with a small set of explosions that were probably audible on the other end of the line. “You’re not gonna be able to fucking blow me away or anything, so don’t even try, tentacle brains!”

That earned him a laugh that was so unlike Deku it made his chest squeeze. “Maybe,” Masu said, “I want to blow you away. Did you ever consider that?”

“Fucking dumbass,” Katsuki growled. “I’m not some girl you gotta sweep off her feet.” He could feel his cheeks warming up and ducked his head, although there was no one to see him. Kira hopped up on the couch, curious, and headbutted him with a pleased mrrp. Her fur felt oddly cool against Katsuki’s over-heated face, so he lifted her with one arm and nuzzled his face in her side.

“Gosh,” Masu said, teasing, “you sound so cute when you’re shy.”

“What the fuck,” he said, whole body sparkling with sudden heat. “You absolute fucker!” Distantly, Katsuki heard the apartment door unlock.

There was another sweet laugh from the other end. “Well, if you’re going to say something like that,” Masu said, and Katsuki felt himself to red to the tips of his ears from the innuendo.

“Tadaima,” Deku called as he came down the front hallway. Katsuki’s eyes went wide. Shit, he couldn’t tell Deku about this. Well, he’d have to at some point, but. Shit.

“Oh fuck you,” Katsuki said to Masu, surprised that his voice was still calm even though his heart was racing. He could feel the weight of Deku’s presence moving closer.

Taking that as the dismissal it was, Masu hummed happily. “That’s a lovely way to say goodbye, Zero,” he said. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Katsuki,” Katsuki said. “You can use my personal name, moron.”

“Okay. I’ll see you on Friday, Katsuki.” The phone beeped with the end of the call, and Katsuki dropped it hurriedly on the couch, glaring up into Deku’s concerned face.

The moron had his phone out too—probably updating their shitty blog with whatever useless piece of information he could think of. Deku looked from his phone to Katsuki and back again, typing something out. Katsuki would never understand his desire to liveblog their goddamn life, but what the fuck ever. “You got something to say, nerd?” he asked, stretching out to pet Kira.

“N-no,” Deku stammered, turning away, with his eyes glued to his phone.

“Good.” Katsuki settled onto the couch and turned on the news for something he could tune out.

Five minutes later, when Deku’s mumbling really began to grate on his nerves, he scooped up a pillow and sent it flying with a small detonation to explode in Deku’s stupid, freckly face. “Shut the hell up,” he roared, baring his teeth and hopping over the couch, to Kira’s vocal yowl of annoyance at being displaced. “What the hell are you muttering about, you little freak?”

He was brought up short by Deku shoving the phone in his face. _Tokyohive_ , _ARAMA!_ , and _Metropolis_ all had posts up about “Newly Out Pro Hero Ground Zero—Dating?!” in varying degrees of salaciousness. “L-look at this. It’s ridiculous. Where did they even get this idea? You aren’t interested in dates and stuff like that, right, Kacchan?” His fingers were trembling where they gripped the phone, and Katsuki could tell it was taking actual effort for Deku not to crush the offending item. He sympathized.

Katsuki grabbed the phone from Deku’s hands and threw it against the wall. It made a satisfying thunk as it hit. “Yeah, I got a fucking date, moron. And when I figure out which stupid reporter decided to leak that bullshit, we’re gonna have ourselves a talk.” He huffed through his nose and watched Deku gather the phone up, going back to typing with only one more skittish look in Katsuki’s direction. He stomped to the stove to taste his curry and think. He was going to have to do damage control on their blog tonight, and the bite of curry couldn’t wash away the slight bitterness that hung on his tongue.

* * *

As he strolled towards the park where he was supposed to meet Masu, Katsuki turned off his phone with his thumb. He hated being out of contact, but he also knew unfortunately well how nosy and intense their fans could be. Better to just not bother with social media or cell phones right now. The streetlamps were flickering on as he walked, daylight beginning to fade into the blue city night. Masu stood with his back against a dogwood tree, the dim light making his long, midnight blue hair shimmer. He wore a neat periwinkle button-up with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and tight jeans that clung to his thighs. Katsuki bit the inside of his cheek. That asshole knew how to make himself look presentable, fuck. He raised a hand in greeting.

With a bright smile, Masu pushed himself off the tree, stepping closer. “Hey,” he said. He didn’t press his luck, tucking his hands in his pockets and staying at the outer edge of Katsuki’s personal space. “You look good.” His eyes cut over, giving Bakugou a slow, thorough once over.

“Cut that the fuck out,” he said, flipping Masu off. “I don’t look any different than usual.”

The other man tipped his head, unphased. “Well, maybe I think you look good everyday, Zero—Katsuki. Sorry, the name’s going to take some getting used to.”

Katsuki shrugged up one shoulder, not really caring. Most of his friends used his names interchangeably already.

Taking the non-answer as the answer it was, Masu turned with a soft, pleased sound and they started strolling down the street. Katsuki was surprised at how easily they settled into silence together. Their last encounter hadn’t been very quiet, rushing down into the sewers beneath Paris to try and track down that one Anti Quirk League asshole. The sewers were always surprisingly loud, with rushing water and buzzing electricity that made his hair stand on end, plus their own harsh breaths while they ran, trading ideas about how to search properly. Katsuki glanced over at Masu, whose freckles glowed gently in the evening light. “What is up with the glowing, anyway?” He’d given off the same luminescence in France.

Masu jerked, eyes going wide as the glow brightened. “Oh, it’s just, you know. Photophores. I can control the intensity of the light.” He paused and rubbed a hand over his face, expression wry. “Usually.”

“Why are you glowing now?” Katsuki asked.

The glowing ratcheted up another notch and Masu rubbed the back of his head. “Th-that’s. A very good question,” he said without answering it.

Katsuki arched an eyebrow but let it go. It’s not like it mattered as long as the guy could turn it off when he had to. And the light was a soothing color anyway.

“You know what’s another good question: why do you let your fans get away with all that shit?” Masu said after a moment of thoughtful quiet.

Grimacing, Bakugou crossed his arms. “Like what? They’re nosy little shits, but Deku wants to be _transparent_.” He emphasized the last word with a scoff, earning himself a huff of laughter. 

“Yeah, but it’s kind of funny how much you guys tell them. About sleeping arrangements and all that.” Katsuki flinched at the words, but Masu reached out, his knuckles brushing Katsuki’s and then pulling away again. “I’m not mad or anything. But I wouldn’t tell my fans how I sleep. It feels a little intimidating to have thousands of people know that kind of intimate detail. You guys are pretty brave to put that stuff out there.” 

Katsuki scoffed again, but the sudden tightness in his throat eased up. “Obviously I’m brave. If you’re going to date me, you gotta deal with what I’m bringing. And that means the weirdo fans, and Deku too.” 

Masu nodded, tapping his chin with one slim finger. “That’s true. I’m looking for baggage that goes with mine. For example, nosy coworkers who ask about my romantic life and then post about it on social media.”

That admission got a low growl and Katsuki scowled. “Who the hell did you tell, you dickhead?” he asked. He’d tthought it was just some random reporter busting the story open all over the damn gossip columns, but it was true that the Genius Agency was home to some of the gossipiest fuckers in the hero business.

“No one. I mean, I might have mentioned it in passing to Ashido, but that’s it. I mean, all I said was that I didn’t expect that you’d agree, and then she started cackling.” Masu made a face. “I don’t get her at all. She’s really sweet but a little bit terrifying.”

“No fucking wonder it started trending on Instagram. That woman is always posting shit,” Katsuki grumbled. He didn’t say it, but he agreed with Masu’s assessment. As much fun as spending time with Mina could be, she was deadly when something piqued her interest. “She’s only gotten worse since school, I swear to fucking god.”

Masu laughed, shrugging up a shoulder. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry in the slightest. Asshole.

“What the hell ever. Deku posts personal crap on our blog all the time, so I’m getting used to it.” Katsuki huffed an irritated sigh out through his nose.

“Speaking of Deku, you know he’s following us.” Masu gestured vaguely over their shoulders. 

“That _fucker_ , I’ll kill him!” Katsuki realized he had known and had also been trying to ignore it for several minutes already. Anger pulsed in his chest and his hands began to spark. Deku was in dire need of a good punch.

Masu risked resting a hand on his shoulder, fingers pressing and lingering for a moment longer than necessary. The sensation made Katsuki shiver. “I think it’s sweet that your partner cares about you so much.” His tone was wry and Katsuki glanced down at his companion, whose perpetual smile had gone a little crooked. _I bet your date would be hurt to know_ several of their fans had said, but Katsuki couldn’t read anger or fear in Masu’s expression.

“It’s not fucking sweet, it’s creepy as fuck. He’s been doing this shit since we were four. Every time I find his notebooks and blow them up, he goes and fills another one with facts about me.” Katsuki waved a hand, small explosions sparkling like violent stars at his fingertips.

“He keeps notebooks? What do they say?” Masu licked his lips and cleared his throat. His voice went down half an octave in a surprisingly decent imitation of Deku. “Here we have the Kat—Kacchan in his native environment. As you can see from the size of his hair floof, like a dandelion he is almost ready to spread his genetic material in the wind.”

Katsuki felt like he ought to be insulted, but the tone was such pitch-perfect Deku, and the words so utterly bizarre that he found a laugh bubbling up instead. He pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle it, but the mental image of Deku, with his pen up and that obsessive look in his eyes, writing something like that... He couldn’t suppress his laughter at all. “You’re a pervert,” he accused through the snickers.

Masu’s proud grin turned into laughter too, and he bowed slightly, tipping an imaginary hat. “Everyone’s got to be one sometime. Don’t tell me you get off to the idea of your hair inseminating someone.” He mimed a gasp.

“What? What the actual living fuck.” Katsuki’s laughter faded, but he couldn’t stop the smile. “That makes no goddamn sense, tentacle bastard. Don’t say ridiculous shit!”

Masu swayed into Katsuki’s personal space, their shoulders brushing, and nodded thoughtfully. “I see, I see. If I’m tentacle bastard, you must be dandelion jerk.”

It was a stupid conversation, but after the ups and downs of the past few weeks, something about the nonchalant way Masu took his attitude ( _rotten, shitty attitude_ , Deku’s voice snapped in the back of his head) made a little bit of the tension in his shoulders ease. “Stop, stop. I’m ending this train of thought. No more.” He tipped his head, hoping it hid the amusement he was feeling.

It didn’t, but the other man held up his hands in surrender. “Right. I’d be a terrible biologist, clearly. Even my subjects don’t like me.”

“Who’s your fucking subject? Cause it sure as hell ain’t me!” Katsuki shoved his shoulder, other hand crackling with power. Masu rocked back with the motion, smooth movements looking almost like swimming.

Their eyes met and laughter rolled up Masu’s body, cresting like a wave when he tipped his head back. It made Katsuki’s body heat. He wrapped his arms around his chest at the unfamiliar sensation, and glanced around. Fucking Deku was still following them. Impulsively, Katsuki reached out and grabbed Masu’s hand, startling the laughter out of his mouth. They could both hear Deku’s quiet mumble, and they glanced at each other again.

Masu let out a long breath through his nose and shook his head. “Come on, Katsuki, don’t focus on that. The restaurant’s over there.” He pointed using their joined hands, smooth, slightly damp thumb running over Katsuki’s rough palm.

They ducked into a pleasantly homey restaurant space, all pale wood and low lights. A bar took up one long wall, and behind a glass partition was a grill where the chef was cooking yakitori. The scent of hoppy beer and cooking meat floated through the place. Katsuki took an appreciative breath as the waitress led them to a seat. They settled into their booth and Masu looked up, eyes narrowing at the door momentarily. He shook his head.

“He’s still lurking?” Katsuki withdrew his hand, unthinkingly running his fingers down the pad of his palm where Masu had held him. There was a trace of blue ink in the creases. He glanced behind him at the door. Green hair flashed from the doorway and disappeared back into the night. He groaned and rubbed his head. “Sorry. I thought he’d be able to handle this.” Katsuki had thought he’d be able to handle this. He was enjoying himself, but he had to take another deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling like he was about to explode from emotions he couldn’t untangle.

Eyebrows furrowing, Masu reached out to tap his knuckles. “I’m going to order beer for both of us, okay.” It wasn’t really a question, and at a place like this, it was obvious that they’d be drinking a little, so Katsuki shrugged. “Good.” He waved down the waitress and placed drink orders.

 

* * *

Two beers and a dozen skewers of meat each, and Masu was gesturing with the last of his glass of beer. “So there I am, with fifteen tons of brand new, lime green Reebok rip offs, held down by a bunch of Triad guys with guns-- real guns, the primitive bastards-- and Maintain’s just like-- ‘okay, so why don’t we just throw the shoes at them?’” 

“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. The fuck did you go along with it, moron?”

Although the blue photophores dimmed over the course of dinner, Masu’s expression had slowly brightened, eyes sparkling with mirth. It was, Katsuki thought, a lot like spending time with Kirishima. Like his best friend, Masu didn’t expect Katsuki to constantly laugh along, and took his sharp insults with good grace. His eyes crinkled at the edges and changed color when he smiled. “Some of us have to make do with the weapons we have nearby, Mister Zero! Improvise, improvise.”

The waitress came over and Masu tipped his head to the side. “It’s your round this time, Katsuki.”  
“Haa, who says?” Katsuki didn’t mind paying for drinks, but it was the principal of the thing.

“You owe me,” Masu said, crossing his arms and leaning forward on the table.

Katsuki wondered absently how the same gesture could look so elegant on Masu and so aggressive on him. “The hell’s that supposed to mean? I don’t owe you jack, moron.”

Taking the insult with obnoxiously casual grace, Masu tipped the last of his beer back. “You told who knows how many thousands of people what my dick looks like,” he said, setting the glass down with a clink. “Your fans have been calling me _tentadick_ for a month straight. Hell, my coworkers have started calling me that in the office chat.”

“Fuck you, you’re the one who showed me your dick that one time.”

“I didn’t think you would name it the weirdest quirk you’ve ever seen, you fucker! It’s not even the main part of my quirk.” It didn’t seem like Masu was really upset. Laughter crept around the edges of his voice as he ran his fingers along the rim of the glass, staining it blue with ink.

Katsuki’s shoulders relaxed when he realized that it was mock aggression, although he growled under his breath. Getting him heated for a damn fight and then backing down. He was going to kick this fucker’s ass. “It’s pretty goddamn weird for a dick.”

“Oh, well, for a _dick_ , maybe,” Masu allowed. “But you still told a lot of people what my genitals look like. You owe me as drink at least.”

“I also told them your butt’s cute.”

“Like that makes it any better!” Katsuki could tell he’d scored a hit because Masu’s freckles lit up like fairy lights behind the embarrassed laughter.

Not usually one to give in to impulse, the two beers were enough to loosen Katsuki’s tongue a little. “Two more beers, and set of grilled octopus,” he told the waitress, never taking his eyes off his date. Masu’s mouth dropped slightly. The waitress, who either didn’t notice or didn’t care about their flirting, nodded and went back to the bar.

When their food arrived, Katsuki was already second-guessing his choices. This was a first date-- just one date, he’d kept telling Deku. Was this too heavy for a first date? Fuck, how the hell did people do this? What was he supposed to say now? He was Ground fucking Zero, not some puny teenager with no life experience. He looked from the octopus skewers to Masu and back again, feeling the tips of his ears get hot. 

If his date noticed the internal conflict, he didn’t say so. Instead he picked up a skewer and examined it before taking a bite. “You could eat more octopus if you come home with me tonight.”  
Katsuki tossed back his third beer with a quiet growl. “You know, I was wondering,” Katsuki said, the drink making him forget himself a little. “Are you more like a damn cuttlefish? They’re a lot smaller, and you like to wear flashy colors.” He gestured at Masu’s arm, where his vividly-colored owl tattoo was hidden.

Masu licked his lips and looked Katsuki dead in the eyes. “Well, I definitely want to cuddle you.”

“Die,” Katsuki responded, an explosion in the palm of his hand. 

Masu just laughed brightly and waved for the check.

* * *

Although it was one of more obscure of All Might’s movie offerings, Katsuki had already seen it a couple of times. He didn’t really have to pay attention to it, snickering at the better jokes and spending the rest of the time just trying to calm his racing thoughts. Masu leaned back in his seat, content to enjoy the movie next to him. Despite Deku’s idiocy and all those shitty anons, this whole thing was going... okay. It was nice. He didn’t want to think about anything beyond this moment because it was just. Nice. 

He sucked in a breath, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of fighting on screen. All Might’s booming laugh was so familiar, even made tinny through the old recording. Masu’s presence was warm, their arms brushing when Masu shifted.

* * *

After the movie, they walked quietly back to the park where they’d met. The night was as full-dark as it ever got in the city, and the sounds of people were muted. Masu slowed down beneath the dogwood trees where Katsuki had found him waiting. “My apartment is that way,” he said, waving a hand down the street, towards the train station. “Unless you want to walk me home?” He tipped his head, eternally cheerful expression slightly muted. An indistinct pattern of colors fluttered up his neck for a moment.

“Nah, I gotta. Get home. Make sure that moron didn’t destroy anything in his sulk.” Katsuki would be lying if he said he hadn’t considered take the extra time. Walking Masu home, and taking more time to get to know him. Making sure it wasn’t just one date. But-- he hunched his shoulders a little. “It was fun.”

Masu nodded as though he’d been expecting the answer and stepped close, close enough that their chests were brushing. “Can I get a good night kiss at least?”

“Why the hell would you want something like that?” Katsuki snapped before he could stop himself, the automatic defensiveness popping into place the way it had so many other times. Masu flinched back, a dark color passing across his cheeks in a way that would have looked like blushing, if Katsuki hadn’t already seen his real blush.

“You-- oh. Sorry, I thought that you’d had fun, so maybe we could. Uhm. Never mind.” Reaching up to play with the thick braid of blue locs cascading down his back, Masu’s smile faded. “Anyway, it was nice to do this. Maybe we can see another movie again.”

Grumbling to himself, Bakugou reached out and grabbed Masu’s wrist, ignoring the slightly slick feeling of ink on his fingers. “For fuck’s sake. That’s not what I meant. I’m just not very good at this whole. Dating thing. Or the kissing thing.” He stared Masu in the eyes, challenging him to pull away.

The faded smile spread back to its full force. “Oh my god. Bakugou Katsuki, Ground Zero, age 24. Never been kissed.” Masu pressed his free hand to Katsuki’s chest. 

It felt like he’d been stabbed with a banner bearing the word ‘virgin’, and he growled. “You got a problem with that?” he asked, the sound starting low in his throat. 

“No, I think it’s--”

“If you say it’s cute, I will kill you.”

“Charming. I think it’s charming. Will you let me be your first?”

Katsuki swallowed hard. He hadn’t lied exactly when he told their fans that he wasn’t saving his first kiss, he just had never had any desire for that sort of physical intimacy. But here was a man who was attracted to him. Whose friendly smile reminded him of Kirishima, and whose strength of character made him think of Deku. And he was pretty fucking hot, if Katsuki was being honest with himself. Which he tried to be as much as possible. But there was still a small part of him, the sixteen year old with some trace of romance left in him, that wanted it to be with _that guy_. Fucking Deku, ruining shit like always. He took a sharp breath. “Yes.”

Everyone said the first kiss had to be special, and Katsuki had never believed something that stupid. But then Masu tugged him close and press their lips together in a slow, chaste kiss. His lips were soft and warm, keeping the touch light and gentle until Katsuki found himself frustrated by the teasing movements. He nipped at Masu’s lower lips, pleased with the startled gasp and the way Masu’s fingers tangled in his shirt. He took the opportunity to deepen it, tongue flicking out, testing. In response, Masu hummed happily and tangled their tongues together with a sweet passion.

When they pulled apart, Masu was glowing gently again, the light even permeating through the opaque fabric of his shirt. “Oh. That was. Good.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a virgin, not an idiot,” Katsuki said, but he bare his teeth in a smug grin. “I’ll talk to you later, tentacle bastard.”

In response, he received a nod and happy affirmative sound. Masu brushed his fingers over the back of Katsuki’s knuckles one more time before he turned towards the train station and home.


End file.
